Front ripper for bulldozers



Sept. 20, 1955 D. E. M LEOD ETAL FRONT RIPPER FOR BULLDOZERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 1954 Dav/p E! Mflc'llsop, He-wey OTTEN 1 4/6249,

INVENTORS Sept. 20, 1955 D. E. M LEOD ET AL 2,718,075

FRONT RIPPER FOR BULLDOZERS Filed June 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DAV/D E1 MHCLEGD,

Hswey 0772M lrf/cws,

JNVENTORS,

BY EMmi-S .Jrraavays.

United States Patent FRONT RIPPER FUR BULLDOZERS David E. Mac Lend, Whittier, and Henry Otten Fuchs, Altadena, Califi, assignors to Preco Incorporated, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 14, 1954, Serial No. 436,269

9 Claims. (Cl. 37-145) This invention has to do generally with rippers, rooters and other earth-working tool-s or the like adapted for demountable attachment to bulldozer blades, and is more particularly concerned with devices which are especially well adapted for attachment to the front of the blade or moldboard and thus adapted to perform their functions during forward movement of the equipped vehicle, though the invention, broadly considered, is not so limited. Nor is it limited to any particular tool.

Such devices, because of the extremely severe service conditions to which they are exposed, are necessarily very heavy, bulky and unwieldy. It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide a demountable ripper or the like which, in spite of its great weight and bulk, is relatively easily and quickly attachable to or detachable from the bulldozer blade; and, when attached, will resist effectively all forces tending to dislodge it accidentally. The number of parts has been kept to a minimum and said parts and their connective elements are of rugged construction well adapted to withstand extremely severe working conditions. Yet the device is nicely adjustable in a number of ways in order to accommodate it to varying working conditions, and to variances in blade characteristics.

One of the main features of the device is the clamp whereby the upper end of the shank housing is detachably connected to the moldboard. This clamp involves a member which is swingable to and from a position behind the upper edge of the moldboard; and this swinging action may be accomplished easily and quickly without the actuation of screw-thread mechanism. Then the final, powerful clamping pressure is applied through relatively limited operation of a screw-thread connection.

With the detached device standing upright on the ground and the swinging member of the clamp swung to inoperative position, the bulldozer may be driven for- Wardly until the moldboard engages the shank housing at top and bottom. The moldboard is then lowered to enter its lower edge in a housing-carried hook, and the swinging member is swung over the upper edge of the moldboard. The screw-thread means is then actuated to firmly apply the clamp to the upper edge of the moldboard and thus rigidly lock the housing to the moldboard. It then only remains to adjust the ripper shank within the housing to secure the desired depth of ripper penetration. Thus, an ordinarily very difiicult task may be accomplished with ease and dispatch.

The clamp is of a nature to hold the ripper firmly in place despite the tremendous forces tending to dislodge it. And it is so located that it is out of the path of boulders or dirt working up the front side of the moldboard during operation of the bulldozer.

The screw connection whereby final clamping is accomplished is of such nature that the loads thereon are only those of tension; all effective side loads and binding actions being entirely eliminated, to obvious advantage.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, refer- 2,718,075 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 2 once being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device as it appears when clamped to a bulldozer moldboard;

Fig; 2 is an enlarged, longitudinally contracted side elevation, partly in broken-away section, of the device;

Fig. 3 shows the device as viewed from the right of Fig. 2, certain parts being in broken-away section;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation showing one of the parts as viewed from the position of arrow 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation showing one of the parts as viewed from the position of arrow 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the upper clamp taken on line 66 of Fig. 3, with certain parts shown in elevation;

Fig. 7 is a detached, enlarged side elevation of the oscillating member of the device;

Fig. 8 is a view of the upper clamp as shown in Fig. 2, except that the clamp has been moved upwardly out of full clamping position;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the clamp as. moved to fully clear position;

Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing what may be a first step in preparing to apply the attachment to the bulldozer blade; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing a modification by way of adjustment provisions for varying the angularity of the slide-path of the upper clamp.

In Fig. l we have shown our demountable device 10 as attached to the blade or moldboard 11 of schematically represented bulldozer 1'2 and, while we have shown this device as supporting a ripper tooth, but it will be understood it is adapted to support many other earthworking or similar implements. Also, while we have shown only one device attached to the moldboard, it will be understood that a plurality of such devices may be provided on a single moldboard.

The showing and description of a ripper tooth in the present application are not to be considered as limitative on the appended claims, for they are included for illustrative purposes only.

Usual moldboards, such as that conventionally illustrated at 11, are of generally arcuate contour, as viewed in transverse cross-section, though their renewable cutter plates, such as 13s, are usually substantially fiat members sharpened at their forward edges 13. It is to edge 13 and, in effect, to the upper edge 14 of moldboard 11 that device 10 is clamped. Extending horizontally along the rearward face of the moldboard, at its upper end is a ridge formation 9, of angular transverse cross-section, with which one of the members of the upper clamp of device Ill cooperates, as will presently appear.

Device 10 comprises an elongated body member or housing 15 made up of horizontally spaced side plates 16, 17, front plate 18 and rear plate 19. Front plate 18 stops well short of the upper end of the housing, its upper end 20 forming a stop shoulder for a clamp member, as will later appear. The lower end 21 of plate 18 stops short of the lower end 22 of plate 19, while the latter plate extends from the lower end of the housing up to a point about midway of the housing, the upper end of said plate 19 being indicated at 23. Plates 16, 17, 18 and 19 define a Vertically extending passageway 24 which is of rectangular cross-section, the way 24 being adapted to take the complementary shank 25 of ripper 26, the latter having a replaceable ripping tooth 27 which inclines forwardly and downwardly from the end of the shank.

Shank 25 has a transverse hole 28 adapted to be brought into selective registration with holes 29, 30, 31 or 32 provided in side plates 16, 17, to adjust the effective length of the ripper, a removable pin 33 being passed through the selected registering holes in order to maintain the adjustment. The pin, in turn, is held against accidental dislodgement by a cotter key 34 or the like.

We will first describe the clamping member, generally indicated at 35, secured to the lower end of housing and releasably engageable with edge 13. Clamp member 35 is in the general nature of an upwardly and rearwardly opening hook 36' made up of a plate 37 welded to the rear of housing 15 and inclining upwardly and rearwardly from the lower end thereof. This plate is braced by housing-carried gussets 38 and extends beyond the side faces 16 and 17 of housing 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The lower edge of plate 37 is centrally notched at 370 to allow the free passage of shank 25. Welded, in turn, to plate 37 is a foot piece 39 which is substantially co-extensive in width with the plate and extends at an acute angle with respect thereto. Welded to the rearward end of piece 39 and transversely substantially coextensive therewith, is bar 40. Members 37, 39 and 40 define the upwardly opening mouth 41 of hook 36, the cutter plate 13a being adapted to be taken snuggly within this month in the manner clearly shown in Fig, 2 In this position, edge 13 is, in effect, bottomed in mouth 41, the forward face of cutter plate 13a engages the rearward face of plate 37, and the inner, upper corner 42 of bar or rigid pad 40 engages the rearward face 43 of the cutter plate.

The upper clamp, generally indicated at 44 and in the general nature of a movable and normally downwardly opening hook, and the mounting thereof, will now be described. Mounted for rotary oscillation with respect to housing 15 and spanning the space between plates 16 and 17, is the horizontal rock-shaft 46. The ends of the shaft have rotational bearing at 47 in those plates, and midway between the plates the shaft has a diametrically extending threaded bore 48. An operating shaft 49 is threaded at 49a through bore 48, and, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, the rock shaft has a flat face 50 which lies in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of operating shaft 49, all for purposes to be described. As will appear, rock shaft 46 serves to pivotally mount the upper clamp arm 53 on housing 15.

Clamp arm 53 may be considered as made up of a body portion 54 from the opposite sides of which extend the hook portion 55 and horizontal extension portion 56, the latter including a downwardly projecting tail piece 57. Body portion 54 has a smooth through-bore 58 which takes operating shaft 49. with working clearance; that is, the shaft is freely rotatable within the bore. Arm 53 is flat, except for the cross-bar 59, and is taken with working fit between plates 16 and 17 so it may move pivotally and vertically slidably with respect thereto, but may not be bodily rotated about a vertical axis.

Shaft 49 and arm 53 are held against relative axial movement between the opposed shoulders represented by washer 60 and collar 61, the latter being threaded on .1.

shaft 49 and releasably fixed in position byset screw 62, and th washer being located directly beneath the enlarged polygonal shaft-head 63. Said head is prefer: ably transversely bored at 64 to take a turning bar whereby the screw shaft may be easily and powerfully rotated.

The r id. ross-bar o c mp pad, 59 is welded to the free end of the downwardly opening hook portion 55, the pad extending beyond the sides of the hook, as shown in Fig, 4, and, when the hook is in clamping position (Figs. 1, 2 and 6 the clamping face 65 inclines downwardly and rearwardly and is adapted. to engage ridge f rm tion 9- 0 the when hand, he f rwar pp r corner 6,6 of blade 11 engages cross, bars or stationary clamping pads 67 welded to housing plates 16, 17, which pads extend horizontally beyond the outer faces of those P a d. r u set braced at 6.8..-

67., define an upwardly C nverging mouth, M, which-, as

arm 53 is depressed, has the effect of wedging action on the upper end of the moldboard.

Tail piece 57 has, at one side, a face 69 which is parallel to the axis of shaft 49 and hence parallel to the rock-shaft flat 50. Faces 50 and 69 are in engagement at all times, permitting relative sliding movement of rock shaft 46 and arm 53, but preventing relative rotation thereof. Assuming for the moment that no restraining means is applied, it will be seen that arm 53 and rock shaft 46 may rotatably oscillate, as one, about the axis of shaft 46 to allow the arm 53 to be pivotally swung about the axis of shaft 46 to and from the positions of Figs. 8 and 9. As the arm is thus manually swung from one position to the other, there is no tendency for the operating shaft 49 to spring or to cause binding of the threads, for tail 57 constantly holds arm 53 and rock shaft 46 in such relative positions that bores 48 and 58 are always in accurate axial alinement. Of course by rotating the operating shaft 49, arm 53 may be moved in the direction of the axis of shaft 49, the sliding engagement between faces 50 and 69 permitting this movement without hindrance.

From the tail tip 70, the forward face of the tail angles at 71 forwardly and upwardly and then, at 72, extends parallel to face 69 and hence parallel to face 50 and to the axis of shaft 49. Removably entered in the bores 73 in housing plates 16, 17, is a headed cross. pin 74, parallel to shaft 46, which pin is flattened on at least one side, as at 75. Or, as shown, the pin may be made double-handed by flattening it equally on diametrically opposite sides, with the flats extending in parallel planes. The pin has an offset rectangular head 76, while extending outwardly from one or both plates 16, 17, are integral lugs 77 having flat faces 78 lying adjacent to the bores 73. The flats are so located with reference to the head face 79, and lugs 77 are so located, that, in order to move the pin 74 fully home, the flats 75 must both be parallel to face 72 when arm 53 is in the position of Figs. 2 and 6, with the rearward flat75 in sliding engagement with said face 72. The pin may be held against accidental dislodgement by cotter key 80 or the like.

It will be seen that, with the parts in the positions of Fig. 6, pin 74 and face 50 of rock-shaft 46 define, in effect, a way which takes tail 56 in a manner to accommodate and guide the arm 53 in its axial. sliding movement. The described structure, including the oscillatory mounting of the nut represented by rock shaft 46, insures that the only effective load put upon operating shaft 49 is that of tension, the clamp being relieved of binding action and the shaft and its threads being free from side loading.

It will be evident that pin 74 determines the angularity of the slide path of arm 53 with respect to the longitudinal axis of housing 15 when the arm is in clamping position; that is, it fixes the angularity between that axis and the axis of shaft 49. This, in turn, determines the extent to which the arm 53 shifts horizontally with respect to housing 15 when shaft 49 is moved axially a given extent by virtue of its screw-thread advance or retraction through member 46.

In Fig. 11 we have shown a modification wherein there is provided a pair of sets of holes 73a and. 73b and a pair of associated lugs 77a and 77b, similar to holes 73 and lug 77, respectively, and adapted selectively to receive pin 74 and thereby allow selective adjustment of the slide path of arm 53 when said arm operatively overlies the upper edge of the moldboard. The oscillatory capacity of shaft 46 allows, of course, for such adjustment.

When it is desired to detach the ripper from the moldboard, shaft 49 is operated to screw-feed the arm. 53 upwardly (see Fig. 8) until the pad 59 is disengaged from ridge 14. The necessary. extent of this movement is rela-. tively slight, it being realised that the provision of the long threaded extent of shaft; 49 is not for; the reason that the necessary releasing travel of the. arm is of corresponding length, but merely so the housing may be fitted to moldboards of widely varying vertical dimensions.

After the above disengagement is accomplished, pin 74 is removed and arm 53 is swung to the clear position of Fig. 9, tail piece 57 finally engaging shoulder 20 which acts as a stop to limit clockwise movement of the arm. The lower hook 36 and the lower edge of blade 11 are then disengaged from one another.

In reapplying the ripper to a moldboard, reverse steps are taken, but in this connection we have provided a spe= cial feature. It will be realized that a ripper such as we have illustrated, weighs in the neighborhood of seven hundred pounds and is very bulky and unwieldy. It thus becomes a decided problem to easily and expeditiously handle the unit during attachment and detachment periods. We have done much to solve the problem by reason of the following.

By fully telescoping the housing and ripper shank, as in Figs. 2 and (at which time pin 33 is in the uppermost plate-holes 29) the tip 81 of ripper tooth 27 is approximately in horizontal alinement with the lowermost edge 82 of hook 39, provided the housing is substantially erect; that is, provided the housing is at a slight angle from the verticalpreferably an angle corresponding generally to that of the moldboard. In this position of the housing, tip 81 and edge 82 represent horizontally spaced ground engaging feet, and, with clamp arm 53 thrown to the clear or forward position of Fig. 10, a downward projection of the center of mass of the unit lies between these feetor within the boundary of the base represented by those spaced feet.

Accordingly, the unit will stand, unaided, in the position of Fig. 10. The bulldozer is then moved forwardly until blade 11 meets the unit, with cutter plate 13a engaging plate 37 and overlying mouth 41. The blade is then lowered to enter the plate 13:;- in said mouth, hook arm 53 is swung to the position of Fig. 8 and pin 74 is entered in holes 73. Thereupon shaft 49 is operated to thread the arm 53 downwardly, thus, in effect, drawing clamps and 44 toward one another and finally tightly clamping the blade between them. And, of course, the downward and forward movement of the upper clamp arm 53 tightly wedges the upper end of the moldboard between pads 59 and 61, preventing any subsequent accidental horizontal displacement of the ripper unit with respect to the blade. In fact, the entire clamping action is such that in spite of the extremely severe shocks to which equipment of this type is constantly exposed, there is full assurance that the ripper unit is continuously held rigidly connected to the moldboard until the 81, 82-ready for subsequent attachment to another blade or for re-attachment to the same blade.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a demountable front ripper or the like for bulldozers, a vertically elongated housing, means on the lower end of the housing for tip-bearing engagement with the lower edge of the bulldozer moldboard, a ripper tooth or the like supported by the housing and extending below the lower end thereof, a clamp arm connected to the upper end of the housing and swingable to and from a position overlying the upper edge of the moldboard, said clamp arm being movable pivotally and being movable bodily, in its plane of pivotal movement, with respect to the housing, and releasable mean holding the arm against pivotal movement when the arm isin such overlying posi- '6 tion, the arm being capable of bodily movement while said holding means is effective.

2. A clamp for demountable rippers or the like, embodying a substantially vertical body member, a member mounted on the body member for oscillation about a horizontal axis, there being a diametrical, threaded bore through the oscillatory member, a shaft having threaded connection with the bore threads, a clamping arm above the oscillatory member and having an unthreaded bore taking said shaft with working clearance, and a shoulder on said shaft having down-bearing engagement with said arm, all in a manner whereby said oscillatory member provides a pivotal mounting for said arm, and rotation of said shaft in a given direction moves the arm bodily downward in the direction of the shaft axis, and releasable means holding the arm against pivotal movement while permitting the arm to move in the direction of the shaft axis.

3. A clamp as in claim 2, including also releasable means holding the arm against pivotal movement while permitting the arm to move in the direction of the shaft axis.

4. In a demountable front ripper or the like for bulldozers, a vertically elongated housing, a releasable clamp at the upper end of the housing for clamping the upper end of the housing to the upper edge of the bulldozer moldboard and movable to a position clear of one face of the housing, a hook at the lower end of the housing and extending horizontally beyond said one face, a ripper tooth having a shank slidable axially through said housing, adjustable means releasably holding the shank against such sliding movement, said tooth extending horizontally beyond the opposite face of the housing, one of the positions of shank adjustment being such that the hook and tooth are substantially in horizontal alinement when the housing is substantially erect, the center of mass of the ripper being disposed between the vertical planes of the outermost horizontal extents of the hook and tooth where by the housing is self-supported in substantially erect position.

5. A clamp for demountable rippers or the like, embodying a substantially vertical body member, a member mounted on the body member for oscillation about a horizontal axis, there being a diametrical, threaded bore through the oscillatory member, a shaft having threaded connection with the bore threads, a clamping arm above the oscillatory member and having an unthreaded bore taking said shaft with working clearance, and a shoulder on said shaft having down-bearing engagement with said arm, all in a manner whereby said oscillatory member provides a pivotal mounting for said arm, and rotation of said shaft in a given direction moves the arm bodily downward in the direction of the shaft axis, said arm having a hook at one side of said shaft and, at the opposite side of said shaft, having a face parallel to the shaft axis, and a releasable member carried by the body member and in sliding engagement with said face.

6. A clamp as in claim 5, wherein said arm has a second face parallel to the first mentioned face and slidingly engaging said oscillatory member.

7. A clamp as in claim 6, wherein said oscillatory member has a face parallel to the shaft axis and wherein it is this face with which the second mentioned face of the arm slidingly engages.

8. A clamp for demountable rippers or the like, embodying a substantially vertical body member, a member mounted on the body member for oscillation about a horizontal axis, there being a diametrical, threaded bore through the oscillatory member, a shaft having threaded connection with the bore threads, a clamping arm above the oscillatory member and having an unthreaded bore taking said shaft with working clearance, and a shoulder on said shaft having down-bearing engagement with said arm, all in a manner whereby said oscillatory member provides a pivotal mounting for said arm, and rotation of said shaft in a. given. direction moves the arm bodily downward in the direction of the shaft axis, said arm having a hook at one. side of said shaft and an extension at the opposite side of said shaft, said extension having, at opposite sides thereof, faces which extend parallel to the shaft axis, one of said faces slidingly engaging said oscillatory member, and a releasable member supported by the body member and slidingly engaging the other of said faces.

9. A clamp for demountable rippers or the like, embodying a substantially vertical body member, a member mounted on the body member for oscillation about a horizontal axis, there being a diametrical, threaded bore through the oscillatory member, a shaft having threaded connection with thetbore threads, a clamping arm above the oscillatory member and having an unthreaded bore taking said shaft with working clearance, and a shoulder on said shaft having down-bearing engagement with said arm, all in a manner whereby said oscillatory member provides a pivotal mounting for said arm, and rotation of said shaft in a given direction moves the arm bodily downward in the direction of the shaft axis, and releasable means holding the arm against pivotal movement While permitting the arm to move in the direction of the shaft axis, said means being positioned on the body member in a manner to hold the arm so the shaft axis inclines upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the vertical axis of the body member.

Forte Oct. 6, 1942 Hayner Sept. 26, 1950 

